"Race Report": Catherine's FA 50k Trail Run

"Race Report":  Catherine's FA 50k Trail Run 07/22/2013   by Crozet Running Club - John Andersen This past Saturday Dan Spearin, Jeff Lysiak, and I all proudly represented Crozet as we traveled to the northern reaches of Massanutten Mountain to run Catherine's Fat Ass 50km trail race.  For those of you unfamiliar with what a "Fat Ass" event is, it is essentially a low-key run usually put on by a running club or bunch of friends with no entry fee, no bibs, and generally just nothing official about it at all.  There are Fat Ass events all over the country and this particular event was unofficially hosted by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club, an awesome trail running club centered in Northern Virginia. I knew a few other runners who were going to be there but I have to admit I was a little concerned over the lack of detailed prerace information available.  I am a planner, but I was getting the feeling I was going to be "going with the flow" for this one.  The only prerace info we got an email sent on Wednesday that mostly stressed the need for "...beer.  Good beer.  More beer is a good thing.  Again GOOD beer.  Cold and good beer is best!".  Also in the prerace email were some words of encouragement; "I have not had a chance to do trail maintenance this year, so be prepared for the unexpected."  Hmmm, what were we getting ourselves into?  Well the one thing we did know was that it was going to be HOT!  Like 95 degrees and humid hot.  Despite all the common sense warning signs of catastrophe (running 31 miles on rocky trails with over 6000ft elevation in 95 degree heat with questionable trail markings...) we headed off truly excited for an adventure.  We knew it was going to be a good day when we saw a bear in the middle of Jarmans Gap Rd not even a half mile from home!  We got to the race early and after meeting and greeting with some other runners, we gathered together for the prerace briefing.  Turns out one of the forest service road access gates was closed so the race director was unable to access parts of the course and thus the course would have to be redirected...and would also have one less aid station... and would not be marked at all.  Crap.  He then went on to verbally give the new course instructions,  "....take the red trail up to the purple trail, then turn down the orange trail, then go up the hill, then down the....".  Seriously?!  I can't remember that!  I shrugged to the person next to me who shrugged back.  Crap.  Go with the flow.  The course "map". Seriously. As I was trying to process this information, the race director yelled out "ok, Go!" and people starting running towards the single track trail that left the parking lot. This was rapid decision time regarding my goals for this race.  First, let me preface that like many a Fat Ass event, there really was not a competitive vibe here at all.  I would say pretty much everyone there was out there to have a good run and a great time.  That's actually the beauty of the trail running world in general - it just seems overwhelmingly laid back and fun.  So I must say despite the uneasiness of what exactly I was getting myself into, I was in great spirits and ready to have a great run - my first ultramarathon distance mind you!  Despite never having actually ran over marathon distance, I was never worried about the distance itself.  I have been racking up plenty of weekly mileage and elevation where finishing 31 miles itself wasn't going to be the challenge.  The real question was "how hard can I push myself and for how long?".  For some reason I really wanted this question answered today.  Oh yes, it would be answered! I jumped out onto the trail and eventually caught up with the front runners.  About a mile into the course we saw a little bear cub jump out of a tree and run away.  Good sign #2!  Two miles in, we came to a trail intersection.  A few of the guys who had run the course before decided that they wanted to run the original 50k course, not the new 50k course for the day.  Apparently in a fat ass, the course is negotiable... Thus, those of us who had no idea where we were in the first place decided to follow the original route guys and there began my detour entitled "Oh man, I chose the wrong guys to run with...".  Running with me were Keith Knipling, who has run over 130 ultramarathons, and Neal Gorman, an elite ultrarunner who currently holds the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning course record (the fastest cumulative time running the Western States 100 miler, Vermont 100 miler, Wasatch 100 miler, and the Leadville Trail 100 miler all in one summer!).  WTF was I thinking!!  Ok, to give me credit, Keith was feeling pretty tired from running a bunch of hundred milers this summer and Neal has been recovering from a nasty virus.  It seemed like it was shaping up to be a nice run... The first 4 miles took us 1900 ft up to Bird Knob overlooking the Shenandoah Valley below.  There we met up with Martha and Dave, two runners who seemed like they were also up for an easy day.  After climbing for 4 miles, the prospect of an easier run was more appealing... After a few miles of running over rocks the size of cats and dogs, we came to a gravel road which we would run on for the next 7 miles.  This is when I overheard Neal say something to Martha like "well, we can't win all of our races like you Martha...".  "Wait a minute" I said, "is Martha also some kind of super elite runner?".  Turns out Martha has been busy over the past few years winning first place and setting course records in everything from half marathons, to the Charlottesville Marathon, to the Highlands Sky 40 miler this summer.  Meanwhile we're burning up 7 minute miles on this gravel road....  Oh man, I picked the wrong people to run with..We finally came to the first aid station which was a blessing.  I filled up with water, threw down a Gu, and quickly ran into the nearby stream to douse myself with its cold refreshing water.  It was starting to get pretty hot.  Keith had told us to leave him a while back and Dave wasn't feeling well and decided to cut his run short.  It was now me, Neal, and Martha.  First time ultrarunner with two first placers.  And by the way none of us knew where exactly we were going.  The folks who knew the route had now bailed.  Fortunately a few of the guys at the aid station gave us great directions for the next 10 miles of trail and we were off.  As the gravel road began to climb, we kept running, passing by several groups of runners who I thought were wisely walking.  Oh man, I picked the wrong people to run with...After several miles of uphill on the gravel road, we got back onto what was perhaps the prettiest and most treacherous trail of the day.  This trail literally went straight up a stream called Morgans Run.  At times, there was no trail, you just walked in the middle of the stream until you saw something that looked like a trail.  Did I mention all the rocks were as slick as ice?!  But by this point, about 15 miles into the run, anything that got Neal and Martha to slow down was a good thing, even if that meant walking up a river. Finally the trail left the stream and we were running again.  Suddenly Neal (in front) starts screaming and takes off in a sprint, slapping all around him.  Right behind him Martha starts doing the same.  In an instant, I see the reason and was too late to stop.  A huge hornets nest had fallen earlier and broken open right in the middle of the trail!  For some reason I couldn't stop and just sprinted right through it, like running through fire.  Hornets hurt!!  The three of us sprinted for a few hundred yards and took inventory.  Several stings each, but everyone ok.  All agreed that hornets suck. We finally got to another "aid station", which was Gary Knipling standing next to Pitt Spring - literally a 3 foot wide spring in the ground.  He had a big pitcher in his hand and told us all to bow down as he "baptized" us with the cold water from the spring.  This was one of the best things I have felt in a long while.  "Can I drink from the pitcher Gary?" I asked...I didn't care that it came from some untreated mountain spring, it looked so clear and cold that I couldn't resist and drank about half the pitcher.  Best glass of water I've ever had. A few more miles of gravel road running until we reached the last "real" aid station.  I learned that elite runners do not mess around at aid stations.  I had heard so much about aid stations at ultras, with a buffet laid out of soda, Gatorade, cookies, watermelon, chips....but alas, I chose the wrong people to run with...I would just quickly fill my bottles then run to the nearby stream and douse myself in water while they quickly ate.  Then I would hastily shove a Gu in my mouth as I followed them out of the aid station.  It was really getting hot by now, up in the 90's for sure and SO humid.  I could feel that the heat more than anything was starting to get to me.  We were now at about mile 20 and I knew I was entering that special "mental" zone in a run and had to hang in there.  But then we turned onto the purple trail. The purple trail, as advertised in the limited prerace information, was evil.  It climbed 1600ft over four miles, the last two of which were just plain hell.  We had picked up another top notch runner Matt Bugin (who just won the Bel Monte Endurance Run 50k this year...oh man..) and Matt, Neal, and Martha seemed unfazed by the heat and elevation.  I was starting to physically bonk. Mentally, I was actually ok.  I was pushing myself really hard which was my goal of the day.  However despite my pushing they were pulling away ever so gradually.  For most of that climb I was about 2-300 yards behind.  I was getting so hot that I was getting chills and goosebumps.  Bad.  At that point, I knew I was starting to bonk.  Oh how I just wanted to stop and sit in a stream for a while.  What the hell is wrong with these people?  Arent they hot?  Why are they just running right by that stream without getting in and laying down?  The last mile of the purple trail was so steep that it was just switchbacks and you had to have your hands pushing your knees down while you hiked.  I was redlining.  I remembered something I had heard Ian Torrence say on a podcast once though.  He said you can always unbonk.  He also said to remember to focus on what you're good at.  So, even though I had no appetite, I ate two Gu's and drained my second to last bottle of water.  I decided just to run my own race at that point and gave up on my goal of hanging with these elite runners.  WTF was I thinking?! And then, the purple trail ended!  I felt like I had just gotten rid of a demon.  The trail turned straight down a rocky hill for a few miles and the elites were nowhere to be seen.  But I fancy myself as a good downhill bomber and decided to bomb away.  Although I'm sure by that point my version of bombing down a rocky trail looked more like a 90 year old man going down stairs...  As I kept on the downhill, something great happened...I unbonked!  I was suddenly back to having fun, feeling some energy and wouldn't you know it somehow caught up to my group again.  The next 7 miles were all mental.  As we slowly descended back down the mountain it became hotter and hotter.  It felt like we were running down into a sauna.  I was overheated, out of water, and my legs were done.  But I had somehow hung with some incredibly talented runners for 30 miles.  I make no illusions that I am at their level - they could have dropped me in a second if they were racing.  But I certainly met my goal of pushing myself for this distance to see what was there.  And there I found the great reward of running.  I wasn't competing against anyone or even for a certain time.  It was just mind vs. body for 5 hours and 45 minutes.  Not many times in our busy lives do we get to feel the true thrill of accomplishment and when we do it is something to be cherished and remembered.  There was no finish line or big clock.  Just a couple of tents filled with people who gave you a big "Ayyyyeee!" when you arrived and wanted you to sit down and hang out for a while.  We sat in the heat, talked about running and whatever and cheered our friends as they finished their mind/body battle in the heat.  Nobody got lost, nobody got heat stroke.  It was a great day!

Sophie's Death March

This past Saturday, after the Derecho rolled through, runner friends of Sophie Speidel gathered from far and wide to run "Sophie's Death March." Runners from (at least) Harrisonburg, Richmond, the D.C. area, and a few CAT Runners joined in the fun. Look at that group!

Water bottles in the front indicate camera-woman Sophie

Marc Griffin, who ran the Eastern Divide 50k the week before, drove to Cville in the wee hours of the morning, and the two of us then met up with Stuart Brown by the airport up 29, before making our way over to the Whiteoak Canyon area in the Shenandoah National Park.

The loop begins with a 5 mile climb with ~3000 feet of gain from the parking area up to Hawksbill, the highest point in the SNP. Sort of a rough start, but the trails are great, and Marc and I settled into a nice relaxed pace behind the really speedy group. Mostly our goal was just staying on trail, as I've only done this loop once (and with folks who knew where they were going), and Marc missed a turn last year and ended up a few miles south of where we were supposed to be. So we took our time, stopped at intersections to check our maps, and managed to make it to the top without issue. Climbs might hurt a bit, but the views are almost always worth it:

Looking West(ish) from Hawksbill

Looking East(ish) from Hawksbill

We couldn't quite see it, but apparently if you knew what you were looking for up there, you'd have been able to see the smoke from a wildfire in the SNP, another 20+ miles North.

Anyway, shortly after we started down from the summit, we ran into Regan, Jack, and Marlin, and decided to run with them. So we spent a few more minutes hanging out on Hawksbill, and then made the descent down to the Appalachian Trail. It was somewhere around here I started thinking I could probably be happy ducking out from the full loop (~24 miles), and just doing 17ish. Sophie's loop had us taking the AT up to Skyland, where there's a lodge and we were able to refuel (despite the power being out). As we gathered back up, Regan convinced us that the long loop really wasn't that much longer, and was totally worth it, so off we went. North on the AT, we skipped the little out and back for Stony Man, and just kept on chugging along to the turn for Corbin Cabin. With most of the climbing out of the way, I was feeling pretty decent on this section, and as a group we were able to keep up a pretty solid pace. I was walking hills I didn't need to be, but as this was going to be my longest run since January, with only an 18 miler a few weeks earlier, I was guessing things were going to fall apart for me.

Though temperatures were forecast to be up near 100, we had a nice early start, and the storms the night before seemed to have helped keep things a little cooler than expected. Getting up a couple thousand feet also helped the temperature, and there were some lovely breezes at Hawksbill and along the AT. I don't remember what time it was we would have been starting back down off the mountain, down the Nicholson Hollow Trail, but it was definitely starting to heat up. Fortunately, this section of trail has lots of stream crossings, which we were happy to stop and cool off in. The water was delightfully chilly, and helped keep us moving. In one of the last crossing before hitting the Weakley Hollow fire road, we actually saw a water snake, which was pretty exciting, if not too worrying.

The fire road was the section I was least looking forward to, and part of the reason I wanted to cut my run short. It's a 5ish mile section of dirt road (which was sort of a relief, as I thought it was more like 8 miles), but the first half is all uphill, with the final nearly 1000 feet of climbing for the day. Last year I was in much better shape and managed to push through this section pretty well, but this year was much happier to walk more than I "ran". At the top, the road hits the Old Rag fire road, where the shortcut would have dropped in. Despite my fears, and general apathy about running the hill, nothing really fell apart for me, which I was very glad for. The final two mile descent was pretty sweet, and Marc and I ran into Stuart who had opted for the 17 mile loop, on account of his "fascist" foot, which worked out pretty well for getting back into the car at the finish.

One of the nice parts about the finish, for this run, is the little creek right at the parking lot. On the way in, I thought it looked pretty barren, but apparently it was enough to keep hot and tired runners happy:

The other good part about the finish was that this was very similar to other VHTRC outings I've been to, with a great tailgate at the end. The park rangers were reasonably impressed.

Typical VHTRC post-run

After a relaxed hour or three of great food, camaraderie, story telling, and watching Gary Knipling bounce around and keep everybody smiling, we three CAT Runners headed home, eager to return again next year.

Gary, still a bundle of energy after several hours on the trail

Gap-to-Gap MMT Training Run

Sunday morning I picked Christian up a little after 5:30 in the morning. We drove up to Target where we met Stuart, who we carpooled with to Gap Creek, off Chrisman Hollow Road in the Massanuttens. There we met up with fellow CAT Runners AJW, Sophie, and Marc and somewhere on the order of 40 members and friends of the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club. We were all gathered there for the Gap to Gap run, a marathon-distance training run for the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler, which the VHTRC hosts. Since I'm boring and all text, here's some pictures from one of the other runners.

The gang before the start

Rumor has it that the temperature when we started was 14℉, and I'm inclined to believe that. We started in a bit of a valley, and the sun hadn't reached us yet, so I was pretty happy to start the run off with a climb up to a ridge. Throughout the day, my temperature-related comfort was a function of which side of the ridge I was on - out of the sun and windy (holding my ears to try to keep them warm), or in the sun and calm (ah, nice). I started near Christian and Marc, but I think they must have been more bundled up than I was, because they apparently weren't in quite as much of a hurry to get into the direct sunlight. By the top of the ridge, I found myself running with Keith Knipling, with only two folks ahead of us. AJW wasn't far behind - just far enough to have stopped to take off a jacket.

Gap to Gap Elevation chart (doesn't exemplify the amount of rocks which where plentiful)

I spent the next nearly 5 hours running along with Keith, not seeing any other runners (until the end as we caught people who had done an abbreviated loop) throughout the course of the day. Keith has run the MMT100 13 times now, so he knows the trails and was telling me tidbits about them and various variations of the course throughout the years as we ran. It was great not having to rely on a turn sheet, and I hope Keith wasn't too bothered running with me. As we got close to the first aid station, he made a comment about how he wasn't really going to stop for long, and I said that sounded fine. And then I asked if he was hoping I'd stay long so he could put some distance on me, but he said no. It should be noted that he'd run a 50k the day before, and that's the only reason I was able to keep up with him all day.

Also, speaking of aid stations, holy cow! The VHTRC is awesome! For this run, which was completely free, we had three aid stations with a delightful crew at each one. And the food! Chocolate covered bacon, homemade cookies, chocolate covered peanut butter balls, peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets, and more usual chips and snacks and drinks (and some less usual (for non-VHTRC event) aid station drinks - high proof!), ... At the end (with a campfire!) we had homemade chili, Brunswick stew (thanks Sophie!), some sort of delicious turkey meatballs (made by the personal chef of Joe Biden), and still more chips and cookies and drinks. So, maybe I run to eat - at least I've got a reason.

The small handful of runs I've done with the Happy Trails group have all been fantastic, and this run was no different. I'll be signing up for the club and getting a shirt shortly. This was my first time in these mountains, and running new trails is always fun. I'd like to thank Keith for putting up with me and guiding me along, the organizers and volunteers for a great event, and my fellow CAT Runners for making it easy, in a sense, to spend my weekends doing these sorts of long runs. Oh, and how could I forget Sniper, who, I'm supposed to let you know, saved me from hypothermia by lending me a hoodie at the end (while I waited for the campfire to get going, and Stuart, with the keys to the car, to finish his run). :)

Finally, a little tip I finally realized on this run: You can easily use your own body heat to prevent water pack tubes from freezing up. I've got one of the Nathan packs and on cold days the valve you bite on, and even the tube running to the bladder, can freeze up. About an hour in to the run Sunday, I decided to try tucking the tube down the front of my shirt, and in short order water was passing through without issue. After basically chewing my first Gu of the day, I decided to try something similar and tuck one into my glove for a few minutes before eating it, with similar success.

Nick


Pictures by Charlie Miracle. Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Recap of Beautiful Training Weekend: SMUT and 3 Ridges/Priest

Fall mountain splendor. Courtesy Jenny Nichols

Last weekend saw several great training opportunities and for many of us it was the last long-run weekend before the upcoming Mountain Masochist 50 miler.  It was also a spectacularly beautiful fall weekend to be in the mountains.

Below, Christian provides a quick summary and some nice pictures from Saturday's SMUT (Southern Massunutten Ultra Trail) 50K, put on by Keith Knipling, and David does the same for Sunday's CAT training run at 3 Ridges and the Priest.

Christian's report from SMUT

The SMUT (Southern Massanutten Ultra Trail Run) is another low-key fat ass event that Keith Knipling from the VHTRC has put on every year for five years now.  Keith offers a 50k and a 100k option (both fall a little short of distance though). We CAT's (Joey and me) opted for the 50k option and had a blast. As an "entry fee" everybody got assigned aid to bring to stock up the aid stations. Needless to say, there was a wide variety of aid and plenty for everybody.

Since there are no course markers we hung with Gary Knipling and Marlin Yoder (both team VHTRC)  almost the whole way to not get lost. We dropped Gary when he realized we were "just" in for the 50k. In addition we were provided turn sheets and Joey even brought a PATC map. It was just over 50F at 6:30am in the morning as we started up a gravel road for about 1.5 miles, and entered the singletrack trail by sunrise. Fall foliage and the sun coming up behind the mountain range offered gorgeous views as we ran on the first ridge. With 6000ft of elevation gain over 28.8 miles it was a good workout and I cursed the Massanutten rocks a couple of times. The course offered lots of rocks, some jeep roads,  single track, beautiful views and great company. The run was very nice and Joey and I finished in 6hrs 30mins.

A really nice low-key, no-pressure fat ass event with lots of VHTRC love, I would definitely recommend it! Here some impressions from the beautiful fall day.






David's report from 3 Ridges/Priest

Fall colors on AT.  Courtesy Jenny Nichols.

We had a great and fun group turnout for Sunday's run, with folks from all over Virginia.  When Nick Hamblet and I pulled into the Rte. 56 parking lot around 7:15 am, we met up with CAT-regular Bob Clouston, Matt Bugin and two other friends from Richmond, IMTRers Jenny Nichols and Guy from Southwest Virginia, and VHTRCer Quatro Hubbard from Richmond.  And then, CAT-regular Neal Church showed up from Richmond to round things out.

It was a picture perfect day with temps in the 50s as we got started.  Guy and Skinny B Nick started out with Matt Bugin and friends in a fast group, followed by Bob, Jenny, and Neal.  Quatro and I decided to "sweep" in the last grouping.  We first headed up the AT towards The 3 Ridges.  The colors were great; we started down in green leafy late summer, ascended through oranges and reds, and came up to yellow-colored trees and paths of fallen leaves on the top of the ridges.  The views were outstanding, as Bob's and Jenny's pictures, included here, can attest to. The Mau-Har trail was great -- much nicer in autumn than in the humidity of the summer IMO-- and Campbell's Creek flowed strong and clear from recent rains.

Jenny and Neal on the Third Ridge. Courtesy Bob Clouston.

Quatro on Third Ridge with Priest in background.

Nick, Bob, and Neal on Priest outcropping.  Courtesy Jenny Nichols

Quatro and I finished the first leg in just over four hours and found Jenny, Bob, and Neal still hanging out in the parking lot. So we grabbed some quick food and drink and headed up the Priest trail all together.  We were met by another beautiful climb and great scenery at outcroppings as we ascended higher.  It was at the first outcropping about 2/3 of the way up that Bob, Jenny, and Neal met the fast group on their way down.  I caught up as they all snapped off more pictures (Q returned to the parking lot about a mile up the trail as the 24 miles he ran with Sophie Speidel plus several hours of UVA tailgating on Saturday began to catch up with him).   On top of the Priest, we visited the other outcropping with its incredible vistas, before turning for our descent.  As this was my first time up the Priest, I was sort of dreading the descent, figuring my quads were shot.

Tailgate!  From L:  Guy, Jenny, Quatro, and Bob.

 But we got down in what seemed like no time at all with my quads still intact. The big surprise upon our return was the spread that Q had set up at his car.  It was the UVA tailgate all over again, complete with fried chicken, lots of chips, a variety of beers, and bourbon and cokes.  Jenny added some 5-hour energy shots and Lusty Monk mustard and we were in business!

Overall, the day included 22 miles of distance and 7350 feet of climbing.

Martha Moats Baker Memorial 50k

This past Saturday some CATs (Bob, Drew, Sophie and me) ran another free event put up by Dennis Herr from VHTRC. As always, VHTRC events are guaranteed fun and you can experience the dedication those folks put into their events.

Joe Schramka running through the clouds

Drew and I carpooled to "in-the-middle-of-nowhere"-Stokesville, VA (the Harrsionburg side of the Massanutten. The complete course is about 35 mi long and provides a decent elevation gain of 8400 ft. Thanks to the Waypoints Drew put in his GPS, we made it to the parking lot at 6.20am, and got one of the last empty spaces. After gearing up and packing map (and yes, Thanks Snipes for giving us an extra map) & turnsheet in the hydration pack we (25-30 runners) came together for a group picture. Many of them took the shorter, 26/28mi option of the course. In a short pre-race briefing, Dennis pointed out that we shouldn't cross the "flower" line, I thought this was a little odd, but given that we trail runners usually are nature conscious it made sense, kind of. (It took me about 20some miles to realize that a flower-line was a flour-line as in course marking. Go figure.). In perfect weather (in the 60/70s) we took off.

The plan was to run with Drew and go for the full distance. Coming back from a beach vacation (and 34ft elev gain runs) two days prior, I figured I need to get in some extra climb. We ran with Sophie, Bob and a few others for the first miles. Sophie gave us some tips along the course of easy to miss turns that served us well in the end (and yes, also arrows put down by David Snipes!). I separated from the group and ran in front with Joe Schramka, one of the WUS'ses (Woodley Ultra Society). I enjoyed getting to know him and talk about running. Drew caught up with us a few miles later and we refueled at the first aid station at Reddish Knob:

1st Aid Station at Reddish Knob (13mi)

We kept checking the turn sheet as we continued on the course as some turns were not obvious. The vegetation of parts of the course seemed like in California, pine trees and lots of grass - a nice change compared to the AT & Blue Ridge. Quite a few times we had to bushwhack as the bushes were covering the trail. We ran at a good pace and didn't think anybody would catch up soon, shortly after - out-of-nowhere, Eva Pastalkova, flew by with a quick "Hi, guys!". Even though she started 34mins late, she passed everybody! Crazy!

After the second aid station (21mi) we hit a short but nice cooling rain shower. Sweet! Some more uneventful ups and downs until we stopped at the last aid station, Grooms Ridge (27mi). 

If I had known that the final "brutal climb" meant brutal climb I might have not smiled here.

The final stretch (that many skipped for a reason) was about 4mi up and 4mi down. At this point my legs were quite tired from going out fast on the downhills earlier and I noticed that I didn't keep up with my nutrition too well - I felt a little empty. Also the weather turned to the sunny side and let the temps rise to 85-90F?! Yay! I think it took us about 2hrs for the 4mi up and 1 hour down. I let Drew take off and ran/walked the rest.

Rewarding views on the final miles..

The finish party was great (as VHTRC-usual), lots of food and drinks and good company. We were surprised to hear that Eva didn't make it to the finish yet... as it turned out she had run 10-bonus-miles. Drew (7:50hrs) and I (8:01hrs) made the first two places (out of 6 that did the whole course). Good times!

Party at the finish.

Thanks to Dennis Herr and all the wonderful volunteers who made this event possible. It was a great day, beautiful course, and a fantastic race.

Link to the event: http://www.vhtrc.org/events/mmb.htm
Photos by Christian:

Photos by Quattro:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qhubbard/sets/72157627318827081/

Photos by Doug Sullivan:

https://picasaweb.google.com/geemaildoug/MarthaMoatsBakerAug132011#

Catherine's Fat Ass 50K

Drew, Mike, Chris, Christian and Joey joined me up in the Massanuttens for the annual Catherine's Fat Ass 50K. Here is my blog post on our adventure!

Pictures by Christian

Made with Slideshow Embed Tool

Pictures by Brad Koening (VHTRC)

Sophie's Summer Death March (SSDM)

This past Saturday Sophie Speidel hosted a group run at White Oak Canyon in the Shenandoah National Park.  The course was a slightly changed version of the popular VHTRC event  Vicki's Death March that takes places in the winter. Of course, if VHTRCs' ambassador calls, many cool trail peeps come together because they know that this will be a guarantee for a fun and good organized run.

Shortly after Drew, Nick and I arrived at the lower parking lot of the White Oak Canyon trail many others followed so that we soon filled up the parking lot and had about 45 (!) people gathered. People came from a multitude of places: Lynchburg, Harrisonburg, D.C., Richmond, Charlottesville, Morgantown WV....

Quickly we came together for the obligatory "before" picture:

45+ Runners of at least three clubs (VHTRC, CAT, WVMTR)

Sophie gave out maps and turn sheets that looked very straightforward and manageable. We took a quick look at the info and off we were....

Lots of climbing shortly after we started...

oh yeah, did I mention climbing?

 Little pace groups formed pretty quickly, the fastest being lead by Sabrina Moran and Neal Gorman. The weather was moderately warm in the beginning and trails were mostly shaded. Later in the day it got hotter and more humid, carrying a 70 oz plus a 21oz hand bottle was a good choice. The trail offered stunning views and varying terrain..

Who would want to run roads if you can have this?

...off course towards Fishers Gap

Marc Griffin, Jack Broaddus and Jared "from Lynchburg" and I were cruisin' down the mountain enjoying the technical trail, stopped briefly to verify our direction and kept going.... until we ended up on a Fishers Gap parking lot - not where we should have been (5mi north on Hawksbill Gap). Oh well. After looking for trail markers, consulting a hiker and the map we took the AT north towards Hawksbill. About 3/4 of the way at another intersection we ran into Matt Bugin and Holly Baker who also got lost.
We had hoped to make it to Skyland Lodge in time to meet at least some slower runners of our group but didn't. Upon asking an older lady at a cash register if they had seen runners she just replied "Runners?.... oh yeah, I've seen runners.. lots of them! But that was about 30mins ago." Anyways, after re-fueling we decided to take a short cut on White Oak canyon fire road to be back at base in time for the party. ...and we made it! We actually ended up with the same mileage as the planned route:
Distance: 25.53 mi | Elevation Gain: 5,572 ft | Moving time: 5:08hrs

Tailgate with lots of good foods and tales from the trail

It was a fantastic day with many old and new friends and good times on and off trail. Thanks again Sophie for hosting this great event, I am sure many of us will make it a regular event to attend to.



Q's pictures of the VHTRC trifecta:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qhubbard/sets/72157627137419294/

Sabrina Moran's blogpost:
http://notallergictoadventure.blogspot.com/2011/07/sophies-death-march.html 

Phil Turk's blogpost:
http://philipturk.blogspot.com/2011/07/death-marches-loops-and-appalachian.html